The Charge

"I'm in a weird band. We've done very well. The American Dream is alive
and well." -Gene Simmons

The Case

While dozens of other arguably more worthy series have met the cancellation
hatchet, for some reason Gene Simmons Family Jewels keeps coming back.
Love them or hate them, the Simmons-Tweeds get up to more of their crazy antics
with the tried and true formula fans seem to love.

All 17 Season 5 episodes are included with this release, spread over three
discs as follows:

The fifth season delivers more of what fans of the series have come to
expect: a likeable family going about their normal, albeit financially-enhanced
lives. Sure, Gene's cocky and seems full of himself, but if you'd built a
multi-million dollar empire essentially with your own two hands, I'd bet you'd
be a little smug too. The vast majority of us will never experience even a
fraction of the fame and fortune that the Simmons-Tweed family has, so it's
kinda fun to immerse yourself in this bizarre mix of celebrity and family life
once a week.

Even though most of the situations and stories that play out in each episode
feel painfully scripted, you still get the sense that behind it all, these guys
are a tight family unit who love each other very much and have a lot of fun
together. Some of the most enjoyable moments from the series to date happen, not
when things are over-the-top, but when Nick and Sophie start in on Gene and
Shannon, taking their superstar parents down a notch or two and reminding them
that at the end of the day, they're parents first. As I watched this season, it
really struck me that Gene Simmons is not just a successful businessman, but
he's also a rock star and, despite living in the shadow of that all their lives,
his kids must think it's pretty cool; I know I would.

Highlights this season include: Gene's 60th birthday party, including the
first appearance of KISS co-founder Paul Stanley; Gene tours New York with a
journalist, visiting landmarks from his past; Gene and Nick discover they're
more alike that they thought; Gene appears on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth
Grader?; Shannon, Tracy, Nick and Sophie race to catch up with Gene on tour;
Gene and Nick geek out at Comic-Con; and a comedian steps in to impersonate Gene
for radio interviews. There are some parts of the season that take the already
unbelievable set-ups a bit too far, but there are still enough laughs and
touching moments (yes, I'm serious!) to make Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The
Complete Season 5 worth your time.

With a full frame video presentation and a 2.0 audio mix, the A/V
presentation is only slightly better than average, but is likely as good or
slightly better than it looked and sounded when it originally aired. Similar to
The Complete Season 4, released at the same time, the only extra features
are an assortment of couch segments that will be familiar to anyone who watches
the series; there are some laughs here, but you'll blast through the 20-odd
short clips pretty quickly. I've said it before: where are the audio
commentaries to shed a bit more light on the real family behind the series?

The Verdict

Sure, Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The Complete Season 5 really pushes
the limits of reality TV, but if you check your scrutiny at the door and just
enjoy the show for what it is, you might find you enjoy yourself along the
way.

Dear A&E, other shows are released with 5.1 audio mixes and anamorphic
video, so why not Gene Simmons Family Jewels? Let's try and boost the
effort a bit next time, 'kay?

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